The biological balance and ecological infrastructure of the vineyard landscape

¹ UÉ - University of Évora, Portugal / School of Sciences and Technology / Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning; CHAIA-UÉ - Researcher at Centre for Art History and Artistic Research, Rua Romão Ramalho, 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
² ATEVA Technical Association of Alentejo Winegrowers, Horta das Figueiras, Rua Fernanda Seno, 14, 7005-85 Évora, Portugal

Abstract

The vineyard landscapes that are known today, almost everywhere, result fundamentally from the technical requirements of consumption and markets, and therefore production factors. This condition, corresponding to the productive function of the landscape, must be reconciled with its other functions - conservation of resources and recreation. This article aims to reflect on the principles of design, planning and management associated with this productive system, considering strategies to increase the landscape’s biodiversity and ecological infrastructure, which contributes to greater environmental sustainability. It considers problems linked to climate change, and valuation of the landscape where the economic, social, ecological, and affective dimensions are integrated. The main features and concepts associated with sustainable wine production are integrated production or biologic production. The geomorphological, soil and microclimate features – expressed in the terroir - and the plant species most suitable for sustainable production and protection of these landscapes include systems, infrastructures, and patterns in each landscape. The reflection is supported by one case-study in the Alentejo region of Portugal – the Borba wine sub-region.